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BOB the Screentime Controller — $76
A gift for parents who want to keep kids from zoning off into Couch Potato-land with their own holiday treasures, BOB plugs into any electronic device with a screen and kills the power after a time limit you designate. Setup is a breeze, and you'll love being able to shift the blame when kids beg for just one more hour of TV, computer or Xbox time before bed. "Sorry, sweetie, but BOB says it's time."
Ages 3 and up.
Get it at Amazon.
We have a giveaway! One lucky reader will win a BOB system of their very own. Send an email to babblecontest@gmail.com with the subject line 'BOB' for your chance to win.Winners will be announced December 19th.
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Spinmaster Air Hogs Havoc Helicopter - $25
Ever have a remote control car when you were a kid? It went about two feet and constantly got stuck on furniture, right? Welcome to the future. This tiny helicopter zips around rooms like a high-tech insect, flying up to one hundred feet with the aid of a very accurate four-way controller. Since we only got our hands on it for a few minutes, we can't speak to its long-term durability or the length of its battery charge. But we can say that piloting the Air Hog is ridiculously fun, and the helicopter didn't break when we accidentally crash-landed it (twice). If your kids are too young for this, their dad or mom might be just young enough.
Ages 8 and up.
Get it at Amazon. |
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ClickStart My First Computer —
$50
LeapFrog's new "computer" is actually a wireless keyboard/console set that turns any TV into a preschooler-friendly PC. Besides teaching computer and mouse essentials, it comes bundled with four learning games to help with skills such as phonics, letters and counting. You can also buy additional software, much of it featuring beloved characters (Dora, Nemo, Thomas, et al.), that'll keep kids playing and learning long after the holiday buzz is gone.
Ages 3-6.
Get it at Amazon. |
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EyeClops — $40
Take navel-gazing to a whole new level with this kooky-looking handheld magnifier, which you plug into a TV set's composite jacks to view everyday objects at 200x their normal size. You'll cringe at some of what kids will decide to put under the EyeClops' gaze (“Honey, are those your boogers ?”), but little critters will delight in literally never seeing their world the same way again.
Ages 6 and up.
Get it at Amazon. |
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Coby Portable DVD Player —
$110
Before you pack up your brood and head out by plane, train or automobile, pick up this affordable portable DVD player from Coby. Easy to use and durable (it can survive being tossed about on a cross-country flight – trust us), the Coby should be the first thing you pack for your trip over the river and through the woods. The headphones are comfortably secure on a wiggly toddler head and the 180-degree swivel lets you plop the screen down on top of any buttons your little ones could use to wreak havoc. And once they're sacked out, you can pop in that Netflix DVD you've had sitting around for the last two months.
All Ages.
Get it at Amazon. |
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Konami Kids Playground: Frogger Hop, Skip & Jumpin' Fun — $30
Konami Kids Playground is actually a series that blends kid-friendly, educationally sound gaming with Dance Dance Revolution -style physical action, but you'll need this game, which includes a mat controller, to get started. Plug it into your PS2 to bounce through Frogger's swamp, sharpening your motor skills as you go along; and pick up the series' other games to work on number, shape, color and letter recognition while getting your ya-yas out on the dance mat.
Ages 2-5.
Get it at Amazon. |
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